Automatic regulator



Jan. 7, 1964 J, A, VAN HORN 3,116,593

AUTMATIC REGULATOR Filed Aug. 17, 1960 2 Sheets-Sheet l ATTORNEYS Jan.7, 1964 J. A. VAN HORN AUTOMATIC REGULATOR 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Aug.17, 1960 INVENTOR John A. 7&11, Hora,

ATTORNEY'` United States Patent O 3,116,593 AUTOMATIC REGULATOR John A.Van Horn, Lancaster, Pa., assigner to Hamilton Watch Company, Lancaster,Pa., a corporation of Pennsylvania Filed Aug. 17, 1960, Ser. No. 50,2169 Claims. (Cl. 58--85.5)

This invention relates to ja timepiece with an automatic regulator andmore particularly relates to a timepiece so constructed as toautomatically accomplish regulation when the hands of the timepiece areset.

Conventional timepieces, such as watches and clocks are ordinarilyprovided with a regulator which is accessible either from the inside ofthe case or from the 'haelt of the timepiece so that the timepiece maybe regula-ted to keep accurate time. In certain types of timepieces,however, such as automobile clocks, the mounting of the clock makes itdifficult to provide a readily ac- Cessible regulator which is not alsosubject to undesired tampering, such as by children. In solving thisditiiculty, it has been proposed to provide an automatic regulator whichis actuated to cause regulation each time that the hands of the clockare set to correct an inaccurate time indication.

In a certain type of regulator of this nature it has been suggested thatit is essential to proper automatic regulation that some means beprovided to insure that the regulation set into the clock in a specifiedperiod of -time is limited to a predetermined maximum and variousexpedients have been proposed to accomplish this end. As one example, ithas been suggested to always vary the regulator by a predetermined fixedamount each time that the hands of the clock are set. Such a regulatoris shown in Rabinow Patent No. 2,542,430. According to anothersuggestion of the same inventor (Rabinotw Patent No. 2,858,029) it hasbeen proposed to utilize limit means for limiting the magnitude ofchange of adjustment for a change in indication within a predeterminedperiod of time to insure that at no time will the change in regulatoradjustment exceed this predetermined amount. In conjunction w-i-th suchlimit means this same inventor provides a regulator lock-out so that itis impossible to re-regulate during the predetermined period of time.

As opposed to this prior concept of a limitation on the maximumregulation which may be injected into a clock in a predetermined periodof time, the present inventor has proposed in copending applicationSerial No. 30,182, tiled May 19, 1960, a system which provides forregulation as a non-linear function of clock setting. That is to say,there is no limitation on the amount of regulation which can be injectedin a given setting or in a predetermined period of time but theregulation occurs at a non-uniform rate so that regula-t-ion is effectedat a high rate only during initial movement of the setting stem and thenis eiiected at a much lower rate or at la zero rate until the settingstem has been twisted a certain predetermined amount. At this time,regulation again occurs at the high rate and the sequence may beindefinitely repeated.

With such a 4system it is possible for a jeweler or clock repair man toinject a large amount of regulation from the front of the clock withouttampering with the regulating mechanism itself. As a `second advantageit is possible to correct a regulation in the wrong direction which hasbeen injected by inadvertently moving the clock hands in the wrongdirection.

In the device disclosed in the aforementioned copending applicationregulation is introduced at a iixed rate during the time of itsintroduction. According to the present invention it has been found thatit is possi-ble to utilize a modilied mechanism of the foregoing type inICC order to permit a greater `freedom in design of the rate ofregulation introduction. That is to say, the present invention permitsthe unit to be designed so that regulation is introduced ei-ther at auniform rate or at a non-uniform rate or at any selected rate orcombination of rates and/ or times of introduction and/ ornon-introduction.

It is accordingly a primary object of the present invention to providean improved automatic regulator for a time piece.

It is another object of the invention to provide an improved automaticregulator for a timepiece wherein there is no limitation on the amountof regulation which can be injected into the timepiece at any givensetting of the hands but wherein the rate of movement of the regulatorcorresponding to a given increment of movement of the setting of thehands is non-uniform.

It is `another object of the invention to provide an automatic regulatorfor a timepiece wherein the amount of regulation corresponding to agiven increment of setting of the hands varies as the hands are se-t.

It is another object of the invent-ion 4to provide an automaticregulator including a low velocity drive between the setting mechanismand the regulating mechanism.

It is another object of the invention to provide an automatic regulatorincluding a low velocity drive between the setting mechanism and theregulating mechanism wherein the ratio of movement between the drivingand driven elements is easily controllable.

n These and further objects and advantages of the invention will becomeapparent upon reference to the following specification and claims andappended drawings, wherein:

FIGURE l is a perspective view showing an automatic regulatorconstructed according to one embodiment of the invention;

FIGURE 2 is a plan view of a portion of the automatic regulator ofFIGURE 1;

`FIGURE 3 is a vertical elevation, partly in section, of portion of theautomatic regulator of FIGURES l and FIGURE 4 is la diagrammatic showingof another embodiment of clam which may be utilized in the regulator ofFIGURES l through 3;

FIGURE 5 is a diagrammatic showing of still another embodiment of camwhich may be used with the regulator of FIGURES l through 3;

FIGURE 6 is a vertical elevation of a portion of an automatic regulatorconstructed according to still another embodiment of the invention; and

FIGURE 7 is a horizontal section taken along the line 7-7 of FIGURE 6.

FIGURE 1 illustrates a time piece having an hour wheel 10 meshing with aminute pinion 14 and driving an hour hand 12. The minute pinion 14 issecured by shaft 16 to the conventional minute wheel 18 and this isadapted to be driven by a setting pinion 20. Setting pinion 20 isattached to a setting statt" 22 adapted to be rotated by a setting knob24. The position of the setting staff 22 and setting pinion 20 isestablished by a bent leaf spring 26 having one arm 28 secured to a post30 which is attached to the clock frame in any suitable manner. Thesettmg staif 22 has a necked-down portion 32 received in a slot 34 atthe end of arm 28 of leaf spring 26. The setting staff 22 may be raisedupwardly against the biasing force of the leaf spring until the settingpinion 20 engages the minute wheel 18 so that the hands of the clock maybe set in a conventional manner.

A double gear comprising an upper gear 36 and lower gear 38 is securedto a shaft 40 journalled in a clock frame in any suitable manner whichwill permit axial movement of the shaft. The position of the shaft isdetermined by leaf spring 26 which is shown to have a second arm 42having an upwardly bent end portion 44 which is slotted and locked in agroove in the shaft 40. The spring 26 determines the position of the twogears in such a manner that in the rest position of the unit the hourwheel pinion normally engages the teeth of the upper gear 36. The lowergear 38 is a full gear while the upper gear 36 has a portion 50 wherethe teeth are cut away.

The upper surface of the upper gear 36 has mounted thereon a cam plate51 having a depressed cam track generally indicated at 52 which is inthe nature of a spiral. This cam track may be formed on a separate camplate, as shown, or may be provided in the surface of the gear 36 or inany other suitable manner as will be apparent to those skilled in theart. Referring to FIGURE 2, the spiral cam track 52 forms two nearlycomplete concentric circles 54 and 56 which are joined by a non-radialstraight portion 58. The outer end of the outer circle 56 has a furthernon-radial straight portion 60 attached thereto and this is parallel tothe portion 58. The inner end of the inner circle 54 has a similarnon-radial straight portion 62 attached thereto.

A toothed wheel 64 rests on the upper surface of the cam plate 51 withone of its teeth 66 disposed in the nonradial straight portion 58, as isbest seen in FIGURE 3. The wheel 64 is provided with a relatively largecentral opening 68 through which a shaft 70 extends in spacedsubstantially concentric relationship. The shaft 70 is supported by apair of bearings 72 and 74 suitably secured to the watch frame andterminates in a worm 76. The worm 76 engages a gear 78 which is adaptedto drive the regulator of the clock in order to increase or decrease itsrunning rate. A guide block 80 is provided to hold the toothed wheel 64in the position shown in FIGURES 2 and 3 through the guiding action of aslot 82 provided therein. The block 86 may be secured to the clock framein any suitable manner.

In the rest position of the clock and regulator mechanism the tooth 66of wheel 64 is in engagement with the track in the cam plate 51.Rotation of the gear 36 in a clockwise direction in FIGURE 2 will causethe tooth 66 to be pushed in towards the shaft 40 by the straight trackportion 58 until the tooth reaches the inner concentric circle 54.Continued rotation of the gear 36 in a clockwise direction would finallybring the tooth 66 into the track portion 62 whereupon it would be movedstill further towards the shaft 40. The teeth on the gear 64 are sodisposed relative to the configuration of the spiral cam track 32 thatat this time another tooth is in position at the straight cam trackportion 58 so that continued rotation of gear 36 in a clockwisedirection causes the procedure to be repeated.

Rotation of the gear 36 in a counter clockwise direction causes tooth 66to be moved away from the shaft 40 by means of the straight trackportion 58. The tooth then remains stationary relative to the shaft 40as it moves through the outer concentric circles 56 until it is drivenfurther away from the shaft 40 by straight track portion 60. As thistooth moves out through straight track portion 60 another tooth isbrought into position at straight track portions 58 so that as the gear36 is continuously rotated in a counter clockwise direction this actionis repeated.

It will thus be seen that the rotational movement of the wheel 64 isintermittent. During the times that the wheel does move its motion iscontrolled by the shape of the straight cam track portion 58 and may bemodified by a modiiication of the shape of this section.

The operation of the device is as follows. With the unit in the restposition shown in FIGURES 1, 2 and 3 the hour wheel causes no motion ofthe double gears 36 and 38 since its teeth move in the cut away portionS0 of the upper gear 36 which is at the same lever as the hour wheel 10.When it is desired to set the clock the setting stem 22 is withdrawnupwardly by knob 24 so that the setting pinion engages the minute wheel13 to drive the hour wheel 10 to set the hands of the clock.

This motion of the setting stati 22 causes the leaf spring 26 to beelevated to thereby bring the lower gear 38 into registry with the teethof the hour wheel 10. Rotation of the hour wheel 10 then causes rotationof the gears 36 and 38.

This same upward motion of the upper gear 36 causes the toothed wheel 64to move up relative to the shaft 70 in FIGURE 3 until the shaft 70frictionally engages the hole 68 in wheel 64. As the gear 36 is nowrotated the wheel 64 is rotated as previously described and this motionis frictionally transmitted to the shaft 70 which introduces regulationthrough the worm 76 and gear '73. If desired, the surface of shaft 70which extends through hole 68 in wheel 64 may be roughened in order tofacilitate a driving engagement between the wheel and the shaft.Alternatively the end of the shaft may be provided with a rubber sleevefor the same purpose.

Referring to FIGURE 4 there is shown an example of a different camsurface for providing a different type of non-linear relationshipbetween the operation of the regulator and the motion of the settingstern. In this figure the upper gear is indicated at 36, the lower gearat 33 and the cut away portion of the upper gear at 50. The shaft uponwhich the gears are mounted is shown at 40 as in the precedingembodiment. A cam track generally indicated at 86 in a cam plate 87 iscomprised of an inner circular track portion 88 terminating in anonradial portion 90 and connected to a straight chordal portion 92. Theother side of the chordal portion is connected to a segment 94 of thesame diameter as the circular portion 83 and this portion is connectedto a nonradial portion 96. The portion 96 is connected to a secondcircular portion 98 which is concentric with the circular portion 88 andwhich terminates in a second chordal portion 100.

With a cam arrangement of this type the wheel 64 of FIGURE 3 is arrangedso that in the rest position the tooth 66 lies in the center of theshort track portion 94. As the setting stem is rotated to set the clockforward or back no regulation is injected for small settings of the sizelikely to be required by a clock already well regulated.

For rotations beyond this amount regulation is introduced in thefollowing manner. If rotation of the double gear is in a counterclockwise direction, the tooth 66 is caused to move away from the shaft40 by means of the straight track portion 96. If rotation of the doublegear is in a clockwise direction the tooth 66 is caused to move towardthe shaft 40 by means of the straight track or chordal portion 92.Continuous rotation of the double gears causes a repetition of thisaction in the manner described in connection with the precedingembodiment of the invention.

Referring to FIGURE 5 there is shown an arrangement of a cam track whichwould permit regulation for changes in setting of less than an hour ormore than an hour but which would prevent regulation for changes insetting for exactly an hour, such as occur during changes in time Zone.A double gear 36-38 carries a cam plate 101 having a cam track indicatedgenerally at 102. This track consists of a non-radial end 104, circularportion 106, V portion 108, circular portion 109, non-radial portion110, circular portion 112, V portion 114, circular portion 116, andnon-radial portion 118. V portion 108 has at the inside thereof afurther V track 120 while V portion 114 has at the outside thereof afurther V track 122. The tooth 66 is centered at the point 117 in thenon-radial track portion in the rest position of the unit. Points 117,119 and 121 are arranged at equal radial distances from shaft 40.

If 4the hands of the clock are set an amount in excess of the back-lashbetween the tooth 66 and cam track 110 regulation occurs for a limitedperiod of time followed by no regulation for further rotation of thesetting stern. In the particular unit shown, the gearing is so arrangedthat the double gear makes one complete rotation for a four hour settingof the hands of the clock. Thus, if the hands of the clock are set forone hour the double gears rotate 90 to bring the tooth 66 intoengagement with either the V section 114 or V section 108 at points 121or 119 depending upon the direction of rotation of the setting stem. Ifthe setting stem is rotated in a direction to drive the double gearscounter clockwise, the tooth 66 is moved away from the shaft 40 by thenon-radial track section 110 to inject regulation into the clock. If thesetting is continued for a 90 rotation of the double gears, however, thetooth 66 enters the V track section 114 whereupon it is driven towardthe shaft 40 to erase the regulation previously injected. Still furtherrotation of the setting stem in the same direction will causereinjection of the regulation which was initially inserted. Stillfurther rotation of the setting stem in the same direction causes noadditional regulation for the next three 4hours of setting but thencauses a repetition of the entire procedure.

While the foregoing embodiments of the invention have utilized a camtrack in a cam plate on the upper gear of the double gear, it is alsocontemplated that other types of cam or drive arrangements may beutilized and one such arrangement is shown in FIGURES 6 and 7. Referringto FIGURES 6 and 7 there is shown a modification of an automaticregulator according to the invention wherein the double gears 36 and 38are provided as in the preceding embodiments on a shaft 40 which is freeto move up and down under the inliuence of the motion of the settingstem as in the embodiment shown in FIG- URE 1. The shaft 7l) is alsoprovided in the same relative position as it is found in FIGURES 1 and 2but in this embodiment of this invention there is provided a differentdrive arrangement between the double gears 36 and 38 and the shaft 70.

Mounted on the shaft 40 in a wheel carrier 124 which is secured inposition between a pair of collars 126 and 12S. That is to say, thecarrier 124 is provided with an extension 130 rotatively received onshaft 40 between collars 126 and 128 which are locked to the shaft. Thewheel carrier has a pair of spaced upstanding plates 132 and 134 whichare parallel and receive therebetween the toothed Wheel 136. Wheel 136is provided with a pair of cylindrical extensions 138 and 140 protrudingfrom the opposite sides thereof and these are received in openings 142in the plates 134 of the carrier 124 to provide a rotatable mounting forthe wheel 136. The center of the wheel 136 is provided with a largeopening 144 which receives the end of the shaft 70 in spaced relation asin the preceding embodiment. A finger 146 extends from the side of thecarrier 124 and is received within a slot 14S in a guide block 150suitably secured to the frame of the clock in order to preventrotational movement of the carrier 124 as the shaft 40 is rotated.

The end 152 of shaft 40 is provided with a suitable spiral cam ridge 154much in the form of a worm gear but shaped to create the same motion inthe Wheel 136 as was created by the cam arrangement of the precedingembodiments of the invention.

In the embodiment of the invention shown in FIG- URES 6 and 7 upwardmotion of the setting stem 22 causes upward motion of the gears 36 and38 thereby carrying the wheel carrier 124 upwardly in FIGURE 6 andcausing the shaft 70 to engage the hole 144 in the wheel 136. Rotationof the shaft 40 thereupon imparts driving motion to the shaft 70 tocause regulation of the clock in a manner determined by the shape of thecam 154 on the shaft 40. As previously pointed out, this motion may beof any desired nature as is determined by the particular shape of thecam utilized.

It will be appreciated from the foregoing that the automatic regulatorof this invention permits the provision of a wide variety ofrelationships between the regulation introduced and the rotationalmotion of the setting stem. The particular nature of the cam utilized isnot critical so long as the desired functional relationship is obtained,It will be recognized that the disconnectable drive between the toothedwheel and the shaft which drives the regulator is in its broadest aspecta clutch and it is contemplated that other types of clutchesmay beutilized.

The invention may be embodied in other specific forms without departingfrom the spirit or essential characteristics thereof. The presentembodiments are therefore to be considered in all respects asillustrative and not restrictive, the scope of the invention beingindicated by the appended claims rather than by the foregoingdescription, and all changes which come within the meaning and range ofequivalency of the claims are therefore intended to be embraced therein.

What is claimed and desired to be secured by United States LettersPatent is:

1. In a timepiece comprising time measuring means including an hourwheel, time indicating means actuated by said time measuring means,reciprocable means for setting said time indicating means, rateregulating means for regulating the rate of said time measuring means,automatic regulating means actuated by said recprocable setting meansfor causing adjustment of said regulating means, said automaticregulating means including a pair of superposed gears, a first of saidgears being meshed with the hour wheel of said timepiece when saidsetting means is in an inoperative position, means for moving the secondof said gears into mesh with said hour wheel when said setting means isreciprocated to an operative position, cam means asociated with saidlirst gear, and a cam follower in engagement with said cam means butdisconnected from said rate regulating means, when said setting means isreciprocated to an inoperative position, said rate regumeans associatedWith said first gear, and a cam follower being mounted in said timepieceto be frictionally connected to said drive shaft of said regulatingmeans when said setting means is reciprocated into operative positionwhereby actuation of said setting means causes a nonlinear adjustment ofsaid rate regulating means.

2. In a timepiece as set out in claim 1 including said rst gear having acut-out portion adapted to stop said gear when said cam means ispositioned at a predetermined angular position.

3. In a timepiece comprising time measuring means, time indicating meansactuated by said time measuring means, reciprocable setting means forsetting said time indicating means, rate regulating means for regulatingthe rate of said time measuring means, automatic regulating meansactuated by said reciprocable setting means for causing adjutment ofsaid rate regulating means, said automatic regulating means including acam means drivingly connected to a cam follower, said cam means beingmovable upon reciprocation of said setting means to drivingly connectsaid cam follower to said rate regulating means, said rate regulatingmeans including a drive shaft, said drive shaft is frictionallyengageable with said cam follower whereby actuation of said settingmeans when said setting means is in its operative position causes anintermittent, non-linear adjustment of said rate regulating means.

4. In a timepiece comprising: time measuring means including an hourwheel; time indicating means actuated by said time measuring means; timesetting means for setting said time indicating means; rate regulatingmeans for regulating the rate of said time measuring means; a main shaftrotatably mounted in said timepiece; gear means xedly mounted on saidmain shaft and rotatable therewith; cam means xedly mounted on said mainshaft and rotatable therewith; cam follower means engageable with saidcam means and rotatably driven thereby; the relation between said camfollower means and said cam means is such that the rotation of said camfollower means is an intermittent, non-linear function of the rotationof said cam means; said gear means comprises rst means which mesh withsaid hour wheel when said time setting means is in an operative positionthereby proportionally rotating with the rotational movement of saidhour wheel, and second means which mesh with said hour Wheel when saidtime setting means is in an inoperative position thereby proportionallyrotating with the rotational movement of said hour Wheel; said secondmeans being adapted to be disengaged from said hour wheel when said cammeans reaches a predetermined angular position thereby causing said cammeans to be predeterminedly positioned between adjustments of said rateregulating means; the rotational movement of said time setting meanswhen in an operative position causes said hour wheel to proportionallyrotate; said cam follower means is adapted to frictionally drive saidrate regulating means when said setting means is in an operativeposition; said main shaft is connected in said timepiece so as toaxially move in response to axial movement of said time setting meansfrom an inoperative to operative position; the axial movement of saidmain shaft when said trim setting means is in an operative positioncauses said cam follower means to frictionally engage said rateregulating means whereby the rotational movement of said cam followermeans causes an intermittent, non-linear adjustment of said rateregulating means upon the continuous, uniform adjustment of said timeindicating means.

5. A timepiece in accordance with claim 4 wherein: said rst meanscomprises a first gear; said second means comprises a second gear; ksaidsecond gear having a cutout por-tion adapted to stop said second gearwhen said cam means reaches a predetermined angular position.

6. A timepiece in accordance ywith claim 5 wherein: said cam followermeans comprises a third gear having teeth thereon engageable with saidcam means; said third gear having a central opening adapted tofrictionally engage a drive shaft of said rate regulating means; saiddrive shaft being connected to said rate regulating means whereby theintermittent, non-linear rotational movement of said third gear iscoupled to said rate regulating means by said drive shaft.

7. A timepiece in accordance with claim 6 wherein said cam meanscomprises: a circular cam plate having a cam track formed therein; saidcam track having inner and outer substantially concentric circularportions; said inner portion having one end connected to a rst nonradialstraight portion; the other end of said inner portion being connected toone end of asecond non-radial Astraight portion; the other end of saidsecond portion being connected to one end of said outer portion; theother end of said outer portion being connected to a third non-radial`straight portion; and said first, second and third portions beingparallel.

8. A timepiece in accordance with claim 6 wherein said cam meanscomprises: a circular cam plate having a cam track forrned therein; saidcam track having an inner and outer substantially concentric circularportions; `said inner portion has one end connected to a irst straightnon-radial portion; the other end of said inner portion is connected toa second straight non-radial portion; said inner portion has :a straightchordal portion formed therein between said first and second portions;said second portion is connected to one end of said outer portion; andthe other end of said outer portion is connected to a third straightnon-radial portion.

9. A timepiece in accordance with claim 6 wherein said cam meanscomprises: ra 4circular cam plate having a cam track formed therein;said cam track having an inner and outer substantially concentriccircular por-tions; said inner portion has one end thereof connected toa first straight non-radial portion; the other end of said inner portionis connected to one end of a second straight non-radial portion; theother end of said second portion is connected to one end of said outerportion; the other end of said outer portion is connected to one end ofa third straight non-radial portion; said inner portion has a firstV-shaped portion formed therein between said first and second portions;and said outer portion has a second V-shaped portion formed thereinbetween said second and third portions.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS1,601,710 Andersson c Oct. 5, 1926 UNITED STATES PATENT oEEICECERTIFICATE OF CORRECTION Patent No. 3, 116,593 January 7, 1964 John A.Van Horn It is hereby certified that error appears in the above numberedpatent requiring correction and that the said Letters Patent should readas corrected below.

Column 3, line 7l, for "lever" read level column 6, line 36, for "meansassociated with said first gear, and a cam follower" read lating meansincluding la drive shaft, v said cam follower column 7, line 21, for"t'rim read time column 8, line 5, for "asecond" read a second Signedand sealed this 14th day of July 1964,

(SEAL) Attest:

EsToN G. JOHNSON EDWARD J. 'BRENNER Attestng Officer Commissioner ofPatents UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE ClllTIlICA'lEv 0F CORRECTION PatentNo. 3, 116,593 January 7, 1964 John A. Van Horn It is hereby certifiedthat error appears in the above numbered patent requiring correction andthat the said Letters Patent should read as corrected below.

Column 3, line 7l, for "lever" read level column 6, line 36, for "meansassociated with said first gear, and a cam follower" -read lating -meansincluding `a drive-shaft, said cam follower column 7, line 2l, for"trim" read time column 8, line 5, for "-asecond" read a second Signedand sealed this 14th day Of July 1964.

(SEAL) Attest:

ESTON G. JOHNSON EDWARD J. BRENNER Attesting Officer Commissioner ofPatents

1. IN A TIMEPIECE COMPRISING TIME MEASURING MEANS INCLUDING AN HOURWHEEL, TIME INDICATING MEANS ACTUATED BY SAID TIME MEASURING MEANS,RECIPROCABLE MEANS FOR SETTING SAID TIME INDICATING MEANS, RATEREGULATING MEANS FOR REGULATING THE RATE OF SAID TIME MEASURING MEANS,AUTOMATIC REGULATING MEANS ACTUATED BY SAID RECIPROCABLE SETTING MEANSFOR CAUSING ADJUSTMENT OF SAID REGULATING MEANS, SAID AUTOMATICREGULATING MEANS INCLUDING A PAIR OF SUPERPOSED GEARS, A FIRST OF SAIDGEARS BEING MESHED WITH THE HOUR WHEEL OF SAID TIMEPIECE WHEN SAIDSETTING MEANS IS IN AN INOPERATIVE POSITION, MEANS FOR MOVING THE SECONDOF SAID GEARS INTO MESH WITH SAID HOUR WHEEL WHEN SAID SETTING MEANS ISRECIPROCATED TO AN OPERATIVE POSITION, CAM MEANS ASOCIATED WITH SAIDFIRST GEAR, AND A CAM FOLLOWER IS ENGAGEMENT WITH SAID CAM MEANS BUTDISCONNECTED FROM SAID RATE REGULATING MEANS, WHEN SAID SETTING MEANS ISRECIPROCATED TO AN INOPERATIVE POSITION, SAID RATE REGUMEANS ASSOCIATEDWITH SAID FIRST GEAR, AND A CAM FOLLOWER BEING MOUNTED IN SAID TIMEPIECETO BE FRICTIONALLY CONNECTED TO SAID DRIVE SHAFT FO SAID REGULATINGMEANS WHEN SAID SETTING MEANS IS RECIPROCATED INTO OPERATIVE POSITIONWHEREBY ACTUATION OF SAID SETTING MEANS CAUSES A NONLINEAR ADJUSTMENT OFSAID RATE REGULATING MEANS.